Puppets of Fate
by Tiaflower
Summary: *FIXED* "Just, if I have to be reincarnated, I don't want to be reincarnated in a world that I know, able to predict what will happen. I want to be in a place entirely new to me, one that will be exciting. And, if I can, I want to make everyone's life's who live there better." Full Summary Inside
1. The Wheels Start Turning

Cross-posted on Wattpad and Quotev

"Just, if I have to be reincarnated, I don't want to be reincarnated in a world that I know, able to predict what will happen. I want to be in a place entirely new to me, one that will be exciting. And, if I can, I want to make everyone's life's who live there better."

When a girl from the modern world dies and is told she will be reincarnated, her request throws her into a whirlpool of a life, a confusing mix of two different stories somehow brought together. Now, thrown into the chaotic new world, she somehow has to find a way to balance both worlds, along with the always changing story of the two worlds she thought she knew.

I don't own anything! Katekyō Hitman Reborn! is owned by Akira Amano. Nurarihyon no Mago is owned by Hiroshi Shiibashi. I own no images, unless otherwise said.

(If you become confused, all will be explained in the end. If you find that while reading this, some characters, especially Iemitsu, are OOC {Out Of Character,} then congratulations! You get a cookie. This is an AU {Alternate Universe.} Some characters are not going to be how you completely remember them. But there is purpose to my madness. Maybe you'll figure it out as more chapters come out.)

**All italicized words are explained at the bottom in order or appearance. Underlined words have images that can be found in Wattpad and Quotev.**

**—**

In an old traditional _minka_ Japanese mansion, in the middle of a curious town, a baby's cry could be heard. Eyes peered through the _shōji _walls and floors creaked as attendants raced through the house, the chaos of the new little life setting off a sense of panic and happiness. Happiness, because the child had been born healthy. Panic, because most of them have never dealt with a newborn baby.

"Quick, get Risana-_dono_ some water!" One cried.

"Idiot, the baby needs a blanket first!" Another argued.

As the chaos ensued, a long brown haired and green eyed woman stood, eyes closed as anger stirred beneath her skin. Finally, the arguing became too much, as her hair started to float behind her.

"Would you all shut up!" Her bellow was heard throughout the house, as all the _yōkai_ currently running around like headless chickens froze. Seeing as she had their attention, she went off on her rant. "First of all, all of you screaming and running around in disarray is certainly not helping anything! If anything, Nana-dono, as you all know she prefers to be called, can hear you all through the walls, and your panic is just making things worse! Second, you are all members of the _Hyakki_ _Yakō_, now act like it! One little child is not gonna beat you, is it?" The other yōkai all looked at each other, before raising up their hands (or what they had that was similar to it) and cheered, before they all started to work together to get what was needed, with far less chaos. Happy with what she had achieved, the woman went off to help, before a small voice interrupted her.

"Um, no offense, Kejōrō, but do we even know what they need to take care of the baby?" _Nattō_-_Kazō_ pointed out. At that, they all froze, realizing the truth of the statement. None of them had bothered to ask the parents and other occupants of the bedroom what was needed. Then, a soft gentle giggle broke through the silence, yōkai looking towards the source.

"Wakana-_sama_!" Kejōrō called, alerting any that hadn't already heard the woman's entrance. "Is everything alright?" She asked, walking toward the human. "Is the baby hurt? Do they need help?"

"No no, nothing like that." Wakana said, waving a hand. "Rihan asked me to come down here, to make sure you guys knew what you were doing. We could all hear the commotion upstairs." She stated while laughing. "Who knew that the **big** **bad** demons of the Hyakki Yakō would be beaten by a child, one only a few minutes old, no less." She stated in a mocking tone, though all knew she meant nothing malicious by doing so. In fact, it worked to bring up their previously desperate dispositions, as they all smiled with her. "Now then," she clapped her hands together. "Let's all work together to help Nana-san, _ne_?"

"_Hai_!"

**—**

Up in the bedroom, Rihan, Nurarihyon, who are on the left, and Iemitsu, on the right, surround a long brown haired and brown eyes woman, lying down on a large _futon_, a tiny sniffling baby girl next to her. The little baby girl looked normal, though she had long two toned hair - the top layer of hair being a reddish brown, and the hair underneath being black. There also seems to be pointed ears on her head, both reddish brown and tipped with black.

Nana was panting, the effort of the labor just minutes before having its drain on her. Her hair clings to her head, her skin sheening with sweat. However, that didn't stop her husband from pushing away the hair on her face. "She's beautiful, love." Iemitsu smiles, petting his wife's hair, being careful to avoid her sensitive animal ears that sat on top of her head, Risana, or Nana, purring in response. At that moment, Tsurara came in with a _katakuchi_ full of water.

"Risana-sama, I've brought you some water." She stated, walking up to the laying woman, the larger than needed bowl cradled in her arms.

"Thank you, Tsurara-_chan_." Nana breathed, still trying to catch her breath as Iemitsu and Rihan helped her up into a sitting position, Iemitsu holding the child delicately in his arms. "But what have I told you about calling me that? I've told you I prefer Nana."

"Risana-sama will always be Risana-sama. To call you any less would be highly disrespectful and unworthy of your status!" She claimed, hold tightening on the bowl.

"Oh Tsurara..."

"Oi, Tsurara." Rihan cut in. "You're freezing the water there." He stated nonchalant, pointing to the bowl. The _yuki_-_onna_ gave a curious sound before she looked down before screeching, flinging the bowl between her hands before it was caught by Rihan.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She continually bowed, throwing her body up and down. "Please excuse me!" She bellowed, racing out of the room and slamming the door in her wake. All the occupants of the room stared and blinked and the door she just left through before Nurarihyon started laughing.

"Nothing like her mother that one, is she?"

"You got that one right, _jiji_." Rihan chuckled, leaning forward to give Nana a sip of the slightly frozen water, which she was very grateful for. She coughed a little, before addressing Nurarihyon.

"Don't be mean, _Otō_-_san_." She berated, though her tone was light hearted, and the phrase more of an endearment than anything.

*SHINNKK*

All heads turn toward the door as another female walks in. She looks young, but the wrinkles were obvious if you knew where to look. Her light skin was complemented by her vibrant red hair reached down to her mid-back, the top of her hair brought back and held by a black _kanzashi_. If one looked closely, there was a beautiful cloudy red pearl hanging from it. (Pretend it is hanging with the petal on a separate chain.) Two fox ears protruded from the females head, much longer than Nana's, curling down, oddly gold compared to her hair, white tufts separating the two colors. From her back were seen nine long tails, all gold that edged into white, each curling and flowing around each other. She was in a traditional royal blue _kimono_, clouds and what seemed to be the story of a battle along the bottom adorning it. Her _obi_ was a pale green, matching the white outlined clouds on her kimono, tied in a butterfly knot in the back. Her _obi_-_jime_ was gold, like her ears and tails, the _ohashori_ visible underneath the obi. Attached to the obi-jime was a dark red feather _obi_-_dome_. Her _tomoeri_ matched the color and pattern of her kimono, barely concealing the white of the _nagajuban_ collar. The _obiage_ was red, the same shade as her hair, though it was not easily seen. When she raised her hand to close the doors, one could see the long billowing sleeve of the dress. She had forest green eyes with a fox like slanted pupil, and a gentle smile. "_Okā_-_san_!" Nana called out happily, the baby back in her arms and cradled to her chest.

"Risana." The mother smiled. "Kubinashi told me that you had finished your labor." She stated, a sad smile on her face. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for it, but you know how I am with blood. I just can't handle it." She explained, moving to Nurarihyon's side and kissing her daughter's forehead.

"Hey hey, any for me, Yua?" A sleazy voiced Nurarihyon asked, his signature smirk on his face. Turning to face him, the woman rolled her eyes with a fond smirk on her face before bending down to kiss his cheek. "Hello to you too, _anatā_."

"Gehe!" Nurarihyon laughed, as she got up to greet Rihan and Iemitsu.

"_Mamahaha_." Rihan smiled as Yua affectionately rubbed the top of his head before bending down to give a soft kiss to his head.

"Hair is as soft as ever, Rihan." She laughed, moving to Iemitsu. Once getting to him, Iemitsu got up to kiss both of her cheeks and give her a short hug.

"_Buongiorno_, _suocera_."

"Good morning, Iemitsu." She smiled, both sitting back down. Shuffling forward, Yua reached a hand out to the baby, the child leaning into the fingers on her cheeks. All of a sudden, tears came to Yua's face, and she brought one hand to her mouth to muffle her cries. Seeing this, Nana gestures for her mother to take the child, holding her out. Taking the child into her arms, Yua no longer tries to hide her tears. "I'm a grandmother..." She croaked, voice raw with emotion. "I'm a real grandmother, Risana...!" She cried, her real age shining through in her eyes. Arms wrapping around her own to hold the baby with her alerted her of Nurarihyon's movement to her. "She's wonderful, isn't she, 'Rihyon?"

"Yes she is, Yua." He answered, happiness shining in his eyes.

Said woman chuckled before saying "I find it highly unfair that I'm crying and you're not. Care to explain?" She stated in friendly banter.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nurarihyon stated, jutting out his bottom lip, totally not pouting. "I'm the _Sōdaishō_, I don't cry." He boasted, not looking at his wife.

"Oh really now..." Yua answered darkly, a creepy smile on her face. Feeling the tiniest amount of _osore_, Nurarihyon started to sweat beads, suddenly remembering how utterly terrifying this other wife of his could be. Rihan and Iemitsu could also be seen backing away the tiniest bit, both having grimaces and sweat drops on their heads, while Nana just smiled with a dumb smile on her face. Then, Yua felt a squirming in her arms. Looking down, she suddenly remembered the infant in her arms, with what she assumed to be a uncomfortable look on the child's face. Gasping, the cold feeling of the room vanished in an instant. Relieved, the three men in the room slid to the ground, glad nothing came of the woman's anger, though it was obvious they were worried about the child, if the way the three got a closer to the woman was any indication. Nana didn't seem too worried, unable to get up anyway. However, Yua paid them no attention.

"Oh no no no, I'm sorry, I forgot you were in my arms. Please don't cry, Grandma Yua didn't mean to do that, I should have been more careful, please don't cry..." her tangent kept going on and on, all expecting the child to start crying, however, they were surprised when a twinkling laugh formed out of the babies mouth, and for the first time, the infant opened her eyes.

They were a striking honey gold, the pupils slit like a foxes, specks of orange, yellow, and red thrown throughout. Their breaths were all taken away, as the infant gurgled at their awestruck faces. Unseen to all of them, Iemitsu grimaced once he saw the orange in her eyes, though the look was quick to disappear when his wife looked at him with a wide smile and tears at her eyes. Banishing the thoughts to the back of his mind, he instead smiled with her, hugging her, tears of happiness starting to fall his eyes. The moment was, of course, ruined by Nurarihyon.

"She doesn't look anything like me." He grumbled, arms crossed, and now definitely pouting. Rihan rolled his one open eye at his father's statement. "Jiji, the hair is definitely you." He informed, but before he could continue, he was cut of by Yua.

"Rihan's right, anatā." She affirmed, Rihan looking away at being cut off. "The long two layered hair is you, along with color of the eyes, while the ears and pupil's shape are me. And I'm sure she'll grow more into her yōkai features, both yours and mine, as she grows. Now stop pouting. It's unbecoming of the Sōdaishō." She teased, going back to his earlier words. This just caused the old man to pout more, much to the entertainment of his two children, who did not bother to hide their chuckles. Even Iemitsu was having trouble holding back his snickers at the scene.

"You're all so cruel to me, an old man..." Nurarihyon fake cried, slumping over.

"We know you aren't going senile, jiji. So give up the act." Rihan insulted, leaning back and letting his long hair brush the ground.

"Rihan's right, anatā." Yua stated, not bothering to look at her husband, before smiling at her grandchild. "You can just ignore him..." whatever she was going to say was cut off as she came to a realization. "Risana, does she have a name?" Yua asked, handing back the infant to her daughter.

"Well no, not yet." Nana smiled guiltily. "We were trying to think of names before Wakana left, but then everyone downstairs distracted us." She explained, before giving a wide smile. "Personally, I want to name her Riko."

"But honey, Tsuki sounds perfect! It's a derivative of the name fifth _shōgun's_ name Tsunayoshi (not true) and it follows the line of our families name!" Iemitsu countered.

"What about the line of our family names, huh?" Nana retorted.

"No offense mamahaha, but you just opened a can of worms." Rihan informed, as the couples arguing faded into the background.

"What do you mean?"

"They've been arguing this ever since the topic was brought up by Wakana, when she asked what they wanted to name her. Now it's just been an endless fight." He explained, looking up to the ceiling. "Honestly it's becoming a pain. I wish they'd just pick a name and be done with it." He sighed. Yua's eyebrows furrowed.

"What name do you like, Rihan?"

"Me? Well, though it should be obvious, I prefer Riko. It's how the children of this clan have been named." He said, offering that as his only reason.

"You, 'Rihyon?"

"Hmm... I'll have to go with Rihan in this. Though Tsuki isn't a bad name either." Came his response.

Yua 'hmm'ed in response, chin held in her fingers, before raising her eyes to her child and her husband, and then to the infant. A beat later, she called out to them.

"Risana, Iemitsu, have you ever thought of a compromise?" She asked, the two looking at her in confusion.

"What do you mean, okā-san?" Nana asked.

"Well, you're both very stubborn in your own way, so there will be a problem if one of you don't get your way. So what if you just put the two names together? For example, Riko-Tsuki-Hime." She explained, the two of them looking at her in dumb shock, Nana snapping out of it first.

"Well, we never really of that..." she laughed guilty. "It's long, But it doesn't sound bad... anatā?"

Iemitsu frowned for a second before smiling. "Well, I have to agree with Nana on this. It sounds like a good name. But, where did the _Hime_ come from? And furthermore, what _kanji_ would we use?" He questioned, looking at his mother-in-law.

"Well, for the kanji, I was thinking "white jasmine" (Riko) "moon" (Tsuki) "princess" (hime). As for where hime came from..." Yua's eyes went softer, eyes shining with an unknown glow. "When I look at her, it's what I see. A princess, but not a helpless one. Rather, one who people gather under, people who she would do anything to protect. That's what I see." All the people in the room were left silent by what Yua said, before Nurarihyon smiled, an unknown glint in his eye.

"It sounds like a wonderful name, Yua." His comment knocked the rest of the room out their stupor, Iemitsu and Nana looking at each other before smiling.

"We love it, okā-san." Nana said, then looking at her child with a smile, leaning down to rub her forehead against the child's. She then reached for something next to her, pulling her hand up to reveal a pearl. It was orange that faded into light pink at a corner. "Her _hoshi_ _no_ _tama_ is really pretty. Don't you think so, okā-san?"

"Yes, it is. The color is very clear." Yua said, moving to be besides Nana. "Two color pearls are not commonly seen, though they aren't an anomaly." She said, taking it into her hands. Then, the pearl on her kanzashi started to glow red as the older kitsune pushed her power through the pearl in her hands, causing it to glow an orange pink, almost like a pink sunrise. Attracted by the light of the pearl, the infants eyes, which had been previously examining the people of the room, turned towards her pearl. Yua brought her hands to her daughter, who put had out the infant down on her legs, and raised her own hands over her mother's. A green glow emanated from Nana's wrist from a previously unseen bronze bracelet on her wrist. Hanging from the leaf was a dark green pearl, which was where the glow was coming from, as she too pushed her power through her daughter's pearl, causing it to glow brighter. The two of them moved their hands over the infant, the blanket she had been wrapped in moved by Rihan to expose her chest. Hovering their hands over where the baby's heart was, Yua and Nana gently placed the pearl on the infants skin, the glows of their pearls fading.

Touching her skin, the orange-pink pearl glowed brightly, slightly blinding those close, the infant forced to close her eyes. When the light died out, there was a forehead tiara on her head with her pearl hanging from it. (Pretend the moonstone is her pearl.)

"Woah. So that's her pearl regalia, right?" Iemitsu asked.

"Yes." Yua answered. "It's the shape the pearl takes to protect itself. It reflects the soul of the owner." She explained. "It will grow with her as she gets older."

"She's a real princess that one, huh?" Rihan commented, drawing small giggles from Nana.

"She's a princess," she stated, picking up the child, who smiled at her. "Our princess." She then kisses her forehead.

"Hello, Riko-Tsuki-Hime."

**—**

**Do not skip! Important and changed events are listed in this timeline! Dates are after the list of events.**

When Nurarihyon was still young, before saving Nattō-Kozō, before becoming encouraged to become the Master of all Monsters, Goblins, and Ghosts, he travelled alone, helping yōkai he came upon as he could. Whilst still on this journey, he came upon a lone village of kitsune. They had welcomed him with open arms, quick to give him food, _saké_, a place to rest, and women to entertain himself with. Nurarihyon embraced it, but knew something was wrong. Kitsune are tricky and conniving creatures, and there had to be a reason they were treating him like the Master of all Spirits. Surely enough, when he tried to leave a few days later, they begged him to stay and help them. Apparently, they had stupidly bet their land and riches on a tournament of _shōgi_ while they had gotten drunk one night with another clan of yōkai. The tournament would be taking place soon, and they were sorely unprepared. With only themselves to practice off of, they weren't getting any better, and they were sure they were to going lose terribly in the game. When Nurarihyon arrived, they had felt it was a blessing from _Inari_ _Ōkami_, to help them with their problem. Because of this, they had treated him as a king, in hopes of being blessed with his help. They would even give him a handsome prize for his troubles.

Nurarihyon knew something was wrong. There wasn't another yōkai village for miles. And another, if it was such a large problem that was looming just over the horizon, why didn't they ask for his help the first day he arrived? Despite knowing this, and curious about this gift they promised, he agreed. They seemed desperate, and no one, not even a village full of kitsune, could fake that level of reverence and happiness. Well, maybe they could. Who knows.

Once agreeing, he was, quite literally, crowd carried toward the _shiro_ in the middle of the village. Once there, he was presented in front of their lord, as the savior of their land. It was obvious he was very powerful, if his seven tails were any indication. Despite this, he had gotten down onto his hands and knees in _dogeza_, to thank Nurarihyon for his help. It was explained that he would be staying in the castle for the duration of his stay, and he was introduced to the lord's children. He had three sons, and five daughters. His first son, Takehiko, was the eldest with five tails, with twin girls, Kaori and Kaoru, coming in second, who also had five tails. His fourth eldest was his second son Ayumu with four tails, and then his third daughter Sakurako, who had just earned her third fourth tail. The next daughter, with three tails, was a red haired beauty named Yua. After that, was a daughter and a son, Michiko and Isamu. Both hadn't reached 100 years yet, and were still very young. If he had to guess, they were both under 80. (In my universe, a kitsune gets its second tail at one hundred. So, if they have two tails, they are 100. If the have three tails, they are two hundred.)

When Nurarihyon and the royal children had been introduced, all but Yua welcomed him. Yua had instead taken one look at him, spit at his feet, and walked away without saying a word. The lord, named Ryuunosuke, had apologized for her behavior, saying that she was a little ball of spit fire and never was one to get along with others, but that he would take care of this indiscretion of hers, before walking away to follow where his daughter had gone. Before disappearing completely, he turned around and said that lessons would start tomorrow, so Nurarihyon could take the time to explore the castle. Once Nurarihyon wished to head to his chambers, he could ask one of the guards, and they would take him there. With that, Nurarihyon was left alone in the main hall. Taking this to his advantage, he used his fear to travel the castle. What he hadn't expected was to come across the little spitfire herself.

Following her around using his fear, he watched as her earlier attitude from earlier took a complete 180 once Michiko and Isamu had sought her out to play with them. He then watched as later in the night she tucked them each to bed with a song. From that moment on, he was intrigued by her.

The next day, he was told how the lessons would commence. In short, he would challenge each of the villagers, and after a game, give them tips to work on, and then he would move to another yōkai. He would keep repeating the same process everyday, until he had worked his way up through the royal family, and then everyone would have something to work on before the other village arrived. It was a very lousy and hole filled plan, but hey, who was Nurarihyon to worry? It wasn't his village on the line. There was also a rule about having to challenge a competitor multiple times until he beat them, but Nurarihyon didn't worry to much about that part. He had already planned to beat them all the first time they played so he could get his prize and leave in the quickest amount of time.

And that's exactly what he did. Everyday, he would face off against different kitsune, always beating them without losing a single game. And at the end of each game, he would give them pointers, and move on. Sometimes they were hard to beat, other times they weren't. Either way, his games had become a public spectacle, for how brutally he would tear apart his opponents strategy, and go in for the kill. He made a lot of reckless moves, but they somehow always paid off in the end. It wasn't the only thing he did though. At the end of each day, after he'd return to the castle, he'd search out Yua, and try to interact with her. At first, he had been completely brushed off by her. He never knew why she did, but after some time, she started to talk to him. And that's what he started doing every night, and they slowly got closer.

Soon, he had beaten all the villagers, and all that was left was the royal family. He started with Michiko and Isamu, who, being young, didn't have much experience with the game. He did go much easier on them, much like how he had the other children in the village. He still beat them though. Strangely, Yua was skipped, and he went up through the family in order, until battling Ryuunosuke. It was one the hardest he had faced in the village, but Nurarihyon managed to beat the lord by the skin of his teeth. Ryuunosuke had blinked, shocked at his lost, before admitting defeat.

"Now," He said. "You need only battle my daughter, Yua, and you can leave with your gift. A warning, however. She is considered the best player among us all. And, if you plan to beat her, it must be done in the first time. She will not challenge anyone twice, and if you want the prize, as per the rules, you must beat her." Ryuunosuke declared. Nurarihyon had raised an eyebrow at this rule, unsure why they hadn't specified it earlier, but decided not to to argue with a yōkai who could mess with his head. Before the game started, Yua told him that no matter how close they had gotten during his stay, there was no way in hell she was gonna lose.

The game started, and Nurarihyon was quick to realize why she was considered the best. She countered all of his strategies with an better one, not afraid to trash talk and trying to get in his head. Turns out, she had been watching his other matches and had analyzed his playing style. Unfortunately, he had gotten to know her better than most during their nightly talks, and knew what someone with her personality would most likely play, and how to get into **her** head. And because Yua hadn't taken this into account, he beat her. He completely, utterly, destroyed her. He had gotten her angry, resulting in her playing taking a dip, and one simple mistake did her in.

The villagers and the royal family, who had all wanted to see the show, stared at the board, blinking multiple times. Then they all cheered at the top of their lungs, causing a ringing in Nurarihyon's ears, while Yua looked away from him with a deep blush. Her eyes kept glancing at him, but she always turned away, playing with one of her tails as distraction. When asked just what the hell was going on by Nurarihyon, Ryuunosuke explained. There was never really any shōgi match between another clan. What it really was went something like this:

Takehiko, Kaori, Kaoru, Ayumu, and Sakurako, were all already married, or set to be married. Yua, who was of age however, refused any and every and all suitors put her way. In her own words, she wasn't opposed to getting married, but the ones she has met for potential mates were all 'bumbling idiots,' and she'd be damned before she married one of them. Then, she made a proposal. If someone could beat all the members of the village, no matter how long it took, and then could beat her in their first match, she would marry them. If she wasn't married by her fifth tail, she would be free from marriage. Ryuunosuke, out of options, agreed to her terms. However, she would have to accept any and all proposals made for her game. She agreed, but put forth one more condition. The true purpose of this game would be hidden under a plea for help. She would not marry someone who only played for a chance at her hand. Her father agreed, only if she agreed to adding to the fake story that there would be a reward for helping the village. She agreed once again, and the rules were set.

They explained how they tricked others into participating in the game, coming up with a different excuse each time. However, most got too frustrated or bored to continue, so they left. One other had made it to Yua, but had been utterly decimated by her. And now, because Nurarihyon had beaten her, they were both betrothed to each other, and would be marrying in a week's time. Nurarihyon's reaction to this was first frozen surprise, then a snort, a smirk, and then a comment thrown Yua's way. "Well then, I guess you really **will **be mine." Yua's blush had gotten darker, while those in the room looked between the two lost, confused on why that comment had such an effect on Yua. And, a week later, they were married. They had both decided to keep their relationship open, due to them both being basically somewhat coerced into a marriage. This meant, that if either one of them fell in love with another person, they would allow the new person into their relationship. Basically, a polygamous relationship. After the marriage, Yua left with Nurarihyon on his journey. Only one person would come to join them in the years to follow.

**Roughly 800 years ago, when both were roughly 200 years old**

The Nura Clan is officially formed, and in celebration, Yua and Nurarihyon decide to finally have a child. They name her _Nura_ _Risana_, a half-kitsune and half-_nurarihyon_ yōkai.

**Roughly 500 years ago, when both were roughly 500 years old, and Risana was a newborn**

Giotto _di_ Vongola starts the Vongola _vigilante_ _group_ to protect people after his friend Simon Cozzato suggested it. There are rumors of the _don_ being related to a family of _exorcists,_ but there are no backing to these claims. Daemon Spade betrays Giotto, and forces him to flee to Japan. It is unknown what happened after this, or where he stayed. Rumors once again started up, saying that he went to his exorcist family branch located in Japan, but again, there was no evidence of this. Ricardo, the second don, turns it into a mafia _famiglia_.

**Roughly 400 years ago**

Nurarihyon meets Yōhime, and promises to make her his second wife. Yua has no problem with it, seeing as what the two agreed two when they first got married. Besides, she likes Yōhime as a person, and anyone who loved Risana was good in her book.

Nurarihyon saves Yōhime from Hagoromo Gitsune with Yua's help, their clan following after them. Challenging Hagoromo Gitsune onto the roof after leaving Yōhime with Yua, Nurarihyon's beating heart was ripped out of his chest by the Master of all Spirits, though it is unknown what she did with it, as she did not eat it, and it was not found on her body after she fled in spirit form. She then curses Nurarihyon's line to never be able to have children with yōkai, in hopes that his yōkai blood would die out. Yua, who had arrived on the rooftop to see Hagoromo Gitsune fleeing in her spirit form, attempted to use her abilities to destroy Hagoromo, but was stopped by Nurarihyon, saying that there was no point.

**Year 1615, when both Nurarihyon and Yua were roughly 600 hundred years, Risana was roughly 100 years old, and Yōhime was 16**

Nurarihyon and Yōhime marry, and Nura Rihan is born. The Nura Clan takes permanent residence in Tokyo.

**Years 1616 - 1650; both Nurarihyon and Yua were roughly 600 years old, Risana was roughly 150 years old, Yōhime was 17 - 35 years old, and Rihan was roughly 25 years old**

Rihan becomes the second head of the Nura Clan after Risana declines becoming the next head. She was happy being in the background, and enjoyed being a house wife too much. Besides, being half human, Rihan had abilities she didn't, even if she was more powerful in certain ways. After becoming the second head, he met and married the flower _ayakashi_ Yamabuki Otome. She then disappears after fifty years of marriage, being unable to produce him a child. She is presumed dead, though there is no evidence for or against this. Yōhime dies of old age.

**Roughly 300 years ago; both Nurarihyon and Yua were roughly 700 years old, Risana was roughly 250 years old, Yōhime is dead, Rihan is roughly 125 years old, and Yamabuki is presumed dead (would be roughly 125-200 years old)**

Sawada Iemitsu is born.

**1975**

Wakana is born

**1980; both Nurarihyon and Yua were roughly in their very late 900's (closer to 1000), Risana was roughly 450 years old, Rihan was roughly 325 years, Yamabuki is presumed dead (would be roughly 325 - 400 years old), and Wakana is a newborn**

Iemitsu meets Nana while she was out shopping and he was walking home from his first year of _kōtōgakkō_. When he saw her, he was enchanted by her, and the first thing he said to her was "You're beautiful," her eyes widening at the words. After that, he had thrown his hands over his mouth, and tried to run, but her laugh stopped him. She hadn't been bothered the comment. It had just surprised her, and made her super happy. They agree to meet again, and at the end of the year, they were dating. Though, Nana questioned the bodyguards that were always near the young man.

**1990; Iemitsu was 15/16, and Nana was roughly 455 years old.**

Iemitsu proposes to Nana. Nana cries in happiness and hugs him. Iemitsu believes she is saying yes and tries to put the ring on her finger, but she pulls away. "There is something... I must show you first." She says. "Then, you can decide whether you wish to marry me or not." Nana then invites him to her house for dinner. Iemitsu is very happy, confused, and fearful all at the same time. Happy, because he is sure that no matter what secret she may have, he will still love her the same. Confusion, as to what this secret may be that she would hide it for so long. And fear, because this was the first time he would be meeting her family. He had only ever heard of them in passing, along with a few photos. He had never been invited over. True, he was secretive about his home life, but learning that she wanted to go home to reveal this secret had the reels in his head turning. What if she was part of a famiglia too? Frowning, he pushed the thoughts away, and accepted with a smile. Nana gave him a sad smile and told him to follow her.

He had been expecting something grand with all of the ideas his head was thinking up, but not this. Not a giant traditional Japanese mansion. And who were all these... strange people, his mind provided - calling her Risana-dono with smiles on their faces? As far as he knew, her name was Nana, right? Then the strange people turned to him. It was obvious that they were apprehensive around him. They smile and greeted him, but it was all highly uncomfortable. Others, like a long black haired man, did not even spare him a look, and if they did, they were glares. Besides from that, he also noted how strange some of them looked, with features that looked unnatural. None the less, he followed her throughout the house, as she explained who he was going to meet, and that there was going to be a large family dinner. He found it kind of hard to believe that all of these people were her family. Not to mention the eyes he felt on his person the entire time they walked.

They travelled some time before coming across the door leading to the gardens. She told him to be respectful, and that was the only warning he got before she opened the shōji door. Outside the door on the engawa, sitting on _zabuton_, were three people, two in the _seiza_ position, one with her hands on her lap, and the other smoking a _kiseru_. The last one had one leg crossed under him and the other up in front of him bent at the knee. One arm was behind him, supporting him, and the other was rested on his raised leg. They were all dressed traditionally. They all had _yunomi_ tea cups in front of them, full of green tea. There were two more zabuton, both of the right side of the older man and across from the only woman and younger man. Nana greets them, and introduces Iemitsu. They then both sit down on the provided cushions, Nana sitting seiza, and Iemitsu sitting with his legs crossed. They are all then introduced to him. The dark ginger haired woman is her mother, Yua. The older man with the gourd shaped head next to him is her father, Riyhon. The long black haired man is her younger brother Rihan from a different mother, who is dead. They had talked about general topics, moving between each rather quickly. Iemitsu started to get comfortable, and was even able to start ignoring the constant feeling of lingering eyes on him. Then, a certain question was asked. "What do you of long-kept family secrets?" Riyhon asked. Iemitsu had been caught off guard by this question, and grew quiet. He wasn't sure how to answer, but he knew he had to be honest, if he wanted to get their trust with whatever this secret is.

"I believe..." he started, "that families keep secrets for different reasons. Some might keep them because they believe that they will be isolated if others know. Others keep secrets because they want it to be forgotten. And some may keep secrets to protect people that are outside of the family that they care about." He breathed in, calming his nerves. "Some secrets are meant to be kept, to not be told. But I feel that if someone is told about this secret, that they should keep it a secret as well. They were trusted enough to know the darker side of a family; they should realize that, even if what they are told is only a half truth." He finished. He looked down, unsure if they liked his answer, until he felt a hand in his own. He turned towards Nana, who was giving him one of the happiest smiles he had ever seen from her. He smiled back, and the tension broke, as the other three members of Nana's family smiled with them. Rihyon then announced that it was time for dinner, and Iemitsu was led to the dining room.

Once there, it seemed as if people he had seen in passing were much kinder to him now, even if some were still cautious around him. He even found himself enjoying dinner, not at all as stiff as he expected it to be. Still, the biggest surprise was still to come. Soon, dinner ended, and the saké was brought out as a party started. Iemitsu only drank a little, despite how it was pushed onto him by multiple members of the house. Soon, Nana asked him to join her outside. She led him to giant _sakura_ tree in the middle of the compound. It was there that she told him their secret. Well, **showed** him more than anything. She transformed into her full yōkai form, with features of both a nurarihyon and a kitsune. She explained that everyone in the house was a yōkai, or half yōkai like Rihan. She explained that her real name is Risana, what her real age was, and that Nana is a nickname. She showed him her separate forms of kitsune and nurarihyon, telling him that they were a clan, all gathered together under the banner of Nurarihyon. Then, Yura, Nurarihyon, and Rihan, all in their yōkai forms except Nurarihyon, joined them, filling in different parts of the story. They left out the fact that they were a yōkai _yakuza_, and how big they were, or what they really did. He was only told that they all gathered together because they were all better protected being together in the changing times. The four of them were the main family of the clan, and Rihan was the current head. Iemitsu was undoubtedly shocked. Of all the scenarios running through his head, this wasn't one he was prepared for.

When he didn't say anything, Nana turned away, fearing that he hated her now. Seeing her turning away like that had spurred him to say something, anything. What Iemitsu said next, he likes to think he was brave enough to say because of his love for her, but it was probably the alcohol he consumed. "So what?!" He shouted. "No matter what you are, it doesn't matter to me! I don't love you because of what you look like, or whatever species or race you may be! I love you, because you're you! No matter you form you take, you're still you! And I love the compassionate, bubbly, beautiful, strong, confident you!" He yelled, before realizing just what he was saying, and blushed and looked away. But, be it the alcohol or not, he meant every word he said. Then, a form crashed into his and captured his lips in a kiss. He immediately recuperated, wrapping his love into a hug. When they pulled away, Nana was crying with a large smile on her face. "About your proposal... I have a answer for you." She started, but Iemitsu put his finger on her lips, a confused look coming over her.

"Before I hear your answer, there is something I must tell you, as well." He stated, backing away from her. "You trusted me with your secret, and I swear on my dying will to keep it. But, I too have a family secret to tell you." He explained solemnly. "Please, whatever I say, don't freak out, and let me finish, alright?" He begged, sitting down on the engawa. Nana followed right after him, holding his hand. "My family..." he started, "is split in two. One half is in Italy, and the other half is here, in Japan. All of us all have the same one ancestor, and that's how we're all related. I guess you could call us cousins." He paused to gather his thoughts. "To be honest, what I'm about to tell you, isn't something I was planning to tell you. I didn't want you or your family to get hurt because of me. But, you trusted me with your secret, so I'll trust you with mine. Besides," he smiled bitterly. "I think you guys are capable of protecting yourselves." The smiled died quickly as he ran his free hand over his face. "God, I'm going to need alcohol after this..." he muttered under his breath, before steeling himself. "My family... is part of the Italian mafia."

Iemitsu went on to give a description of the famiglia's history, keeping certain details, like the existence of flames or the Vongola Hyper Intuition, under wraps. To go into more detail, he told them that they must all swear _omertà_, since they now all about him being apart of the Vongola. The included the rest of the yōkai in the house, who had all been listening in the conversation is some way, shape, or form. The four with him were quick to do so, and with a order from Rihan, the rest of the yōkai in the house followed suit. When asked about why they must do this, he just said that there is a terrible punishment for those who don't, and that it was much, much worse than death. That had quieted most of them. After this, he told them about the leaders of the family, and that the current leader was an older man named Timoteo, and that he had four sons, the oldest being the candidate for the next boss. He sighed again, before telling them that he is basically the second in command of the famiglia, being prepared to be Timoteo's external advisor, and the basics of what that meant. He didn't mention the _CEDEF_ completely. Only alluded to it.

"And that's it. That's my secret. It was why I had those bodyguards following me around all the time. Though, I managed to get them to leave me for today so I could propose to you in peace, Nan- wait, should I be calling you Risana? Sorry, you probably weren't expecting this. It's not everyday you hear that the one who proposed to you is apart of the mafia. God, I'd be terrified if I didn't know. I understand if you don't want to accept the proposal." He ranted, the stress obviously getting to him.

Nana gave a small smile, before squeezing his hand. "Nana is fine... would you mind if I asked two questions?" Iemitsu squeezed back, his only affirmation to her request as he looked down to the ground.

"How important is your family to you? And I don't mean the mafia one."

"They're extremely important to me, if not the most important." He answered, looking up at her. "Yes, there are times that the famiglia will come first, and yes, I will be away a lot for mafia business. But, besides from that, I want to spend all the time I can with my family. After all, you never know what could happen." He said, clenching his hand in Nana's, staring back down at the ground. The sad undertone in his voice was clear, and Nana grasped his other hand in comfort.

"Would you ever hurt someone unnecessarily, or someone who didn't deserve it?" Iemitsu eyes turned wide and his head spun to hers.

"God no! I would never go after someone without a reason, and I would sure as hell never kill them unless given a reason! Though," he turned away. "I have killed. I was in Italy, and someone from a enemy famiglia attacked me. So I shot." He sighed. "Nothing ever prepares you for the first time you kill someone." He grew silent for a bit, trying to allow himself to process. "Timoteo... he's a good man. He tries to avoid killing, and won't order his men to do so unless absolutely necessary." He sighed. "So yes, I would never hurt someone unnecessarily. But, if it meant protecting my family, then I would be willing to become the 'bad guy,' and do what I have to." He finished. Nana looked at him, before calling his name. When he looked up, she kissed him again, a gentle short kiss, and rested her forehead against his.

"Yes."

"W-what?"

"My answer to your proposal. It's yes." She smiled, closing her eyes. "I think, even with these family circumstances of ours, we can make this work. And, mafia or not, I love you." She giggled, Iemitsu blushing before laughing as well.

"Yeah; I love you too."

**1994; Iemitsu was 20, and Nana was roughly 460 years old**

Iemitsu and Nana get married; Iemitsu becomes the official head of the CEDEF.

**1995; Iemitsu was 21, and Nana was roughly 460 years old**

Wakana meets Rihan in high school, and says that she will make sure to live as long as she can in order to always look out for him, and would haunt him in her afterlife if need be. They later get married.

**Years 1996 to 1998; both Nurarihyon and Yua were in their very early 1000's, Risana was roughly 460 years old, Rihan was roughly 335 years old, Yamabuki is presumed dead (would be roughly 335 - 410 years old), and Wakana is 16 to 18 years old**

Nura-Sawada "Ritsuna" Riko-Tsuki-Hime is born.

**Current Day; June 28, 1998**

Dictionary Corner! Here are the definitions of all italicized words in order.

Minka - A traditional Japanese house, characterized by _tatami_ mat flooring, sliding doors, and wooden _engawa_ verandas.

Tatami - A traditional type of mat used as a flooring material, traditionally made using rice straw to make the core, covered by woven _soft_ _rush_ straw. They usually have an edging of _brocade_ or plain cloth.

Soft rush - A perennial herb flowering plant species in the family _Juncaceae_.

Juncaceae - A family of flowering plants; commonly known as the rush family. Includes about 464 known species of slow-growing plants that reassemble grass.

Brocade - A type of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics. They are often made with colored silks, and sometimes gold and silver threads.

Engawa - An edging strip of non-tatami matted flooring, usually being wood or bamboo. They could run around the rooms, or on the outside of the building, which causes it to resemble a porch or sunroom.

Shōji - A door, window, or room divider consisting of translucent paper of over a frame of wood which holds together a lattice of wood or bamboo. The paper traditionally used for this is called _washi_.

Washi - Traditional Japanese paper. Used to describe paper that uses local fiber, processed by hand, and made in the traditional manner.

Dono - Roughly means "lord" or "master." It does not equate to a noble status; rather, it is a term akin to "milord." It lies below -sama in respect. (No, they are not disrespecting Nana. She asked them not to call her sama. Dono was the best she could get.)

Sama - A respectful Japanese honorific for people of a higher rank of oneself. It can be used toward someone a person greatly admires.

Yōkai - Supernatural monsters, spirits, and demons in Japanese folklore.

Hyakki Yakō - Literally meaning "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons," it is the term used for the gathering of yōkai beneath a leader's banner.

Nattō-Kazō - A _tsukumogami_ yōkai with a _nattō_ filled straw head. He releases an intense nattō smell, so those who don't enjoy it can't stand to be near him.

Tsukumogami - Formerly inanimate objects that became animate and self-aware on their 100th birthday.

Nattō - Traditional Japanese food made from soybeans fermented in _bacillus_ _subtilis_ var. nattō.

Bacillus Subtilis - Also known as hay bacillus or grass bacillus, it is a good bacteria found in soil. The var. nattō comes from rice straw.

Ne - Able to be used with any kind of sentence. Usually used either as a stand-alone attention-getting sound before a sentence, or as a semi-rhetorical sentence-ending particle.

Hai - Similar to the English word "yes," though does not match it completely. It more precisely means "I agree with you," or "it is correct." (I just personally find it hard to translate it completely to get my point across, so I stick with "hai.")

Futon - A Japanese traditional style of bedding. A complete futon set has a mattress and a duvet.

Katakuchi - A spouted serving bowl, usually used in a sake set.

Chan - A diminutive suffix; it shows that the speaker finds a person endearing. Supposedly, it came from a "cute" pronouncing of -san in Japan.

Yuki-Onna - A snow women ghost of Japanese culture. She is described as inhumanly beautiful, and has the ability to breath ice. Yuki-Onna is a _Yūrei_ type yōkai.

Yūrei - A large category of yōkai that are essentially ghosts, but are technically _kami_. They are spirits kept from a peaceful afterlife due to revenge, love, jealousy, hatred, or sorrow.

Kami - Spirits, gods, and deities of Japan's _Shinto_ religion. It is a wide concept that can be used to describe the spirits of deceased loved ones, gods of Japanese mythology, animal spirits, and deities of other religions. They can be good or bad. They can be weak or powerful.

Shinto - A Japanese religion dating from the early 8th century. It is the practice of worshiping ancestors and nature spirits. There is a belief of sacred power (kami) in both inanimate and animate things.

Jiji - Slang to refer to somebody old, usually meaning "old man" and can be considered very rude. Rihan is using it as an endearment here, his laidback attitude leading to this nickname for his father.

Otō-San - Friendly way to say father.

Kanzashi - Hair ornaments (hairpin, hair stick) used in traditional Japanese hairstyles.

Kimono - A traditional Japanese garment. A long, loose robe with wide sleeves and tied with a sash.

Obi - A broad sash worn around the waist of a Japanese kimono.

Obi-jime - A thin rope attached to an obi, used to tie the obi firmly.

Ohashori - A woman's kimono is often adjusted by folding the cloth at the waist when the dress is too long. The fold of the dress, seen under the obi, is called ohashori.

Tomoeri - A piece of fabric that protects the top of the kimono from stains, and can be removed and replaced if needed.

Nagajuban - A slip that must be worn under a kimono to protect it from sweat, as kimono's can be hard to wash.

Obiage - An obi scarf. It keeps the upper part of a obi knot in place.

Obi-Dome - A small decorative accessory that is fastened onto the obi-jime.

Okā-San - Friendly way to say mother.

Anatā - Though usually meaning 'you' when referring to a stranger, when used by a wife speaking to her husband like in this case, it means "my darling" or "my sweetie."

Mamahaha - Informal way of saying stepmother. Like jiji, Rihan uses it as an endearment.

Buongiorno - Good morning in Italian.

Suocera - Mother-in-law in Italian.

Sōdaishō - Literally meaning "Supreme Commander."

Osore - Literally meaning "fear." It is a term that denotes the unique skills and traits of each yōkai. It represents the "fear" of the unknown, when yōkai present themselves as "monsters."

Shōgun - A heredity commander in chief in feudal Japan. Considered the top of the government and ruled the land. They ruled from around 8th century A.D. to 12th century A.D.

Hime - Princess in Japanese.

Kanji - Chinese character adapted for Japanese. It is considered "old Japanese," and changing the kanji of names changes their meanings, since different kanji can be put together to make the same name.

Hoshi no Tama - Literally meaning "star-ball." A feature of _kitsune_ demons. The balls, or pearls, as they usually are, hold the foxes memories and life force. Without it, they grow weak and die. If another manages to get a hold of a kitsune's pearl, they could control the demon, since the kitsune will do anything to get the pearl back.

Kitsune - A Japanese fox demon that grow a tail for every hundred years they are alive. They can have up to nine tails. They are known to have a plethora of abilities, ranging from Fox Fire to Illusion to physic abilities. In my world, a kitsune will have two tails at 100.

Saké - Japanese rice wine. An alcoholic beverage made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran.

Shōgi - Known as Japanese chess or the Game of Generals. It is a two player strategy game.

Inari Ōkami - The Japanese kami of foxes, fertility, rice, tea, saké, agriculture, industry, general prosperity, and worldly success. They are one of the principal kami of Shinto religion. They have no gender. Kitsune follow them.

Shiro - Japanese character for "castle." They are fortresses made of wood and stone. Yes, it is also the word for white. However, white is written as 白, and castle is written as 城.

Dogeza - Element of traditional Japanese etiquette. Involves kneeling directly on the ground and bowing while one's head touches the floor.

Nura Risana - In Japanese, the surname comes before the given name. In English, this would be Risana Nura.

Nurarihyon - A Japanese yōkai; described as an old man with a gourd shaped head and wearing a _kesa_. They are often described as carrying around one sword, instead of the usual two, to show off his wealth. He is often depicted as going into people's homes and drinking their teas, as if it is his own house. In the manga, the Nurarihyon are described as yōkai that have the ability to alter one's sense of reality, also having control over dreams and illusions. They are very stealthy yōkai who use the control they have over an opponents senses to either defeat or evade them.

Kesa - Robes of fully ordained Buddhist _monks_ and _nuns_, named after brown or saffron dye.

Monk - A member of a religious community of men typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They do not marry, and live together in a monastery.

Nun - Female version of a monk; a member of a religious community of women, living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They live together sheltered in a monastery. They do not marry.

Di - Literally means "of" or "from" in Italian. It is put onto any given name to form a _patronym_. It is being used here as "Giotto of the Vongola Famiglia."

Vigilante Group - A self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate.

Don - An Italian honorific - it's similar to "sir," but has different meanings. It usually refers to a male figure who is responsible for a group of people. It is primarily used to refer to the leaders of _mafia_ families.

Mafia - A organized international body of criminals that have a complex and ruthless behavioral code.

Exorcist - A person who expels or attempts to expel a supposed evil spirit from a person or place.

Patronym - A name derived from the name of a father or ancestor, typically by adding a prefix or suffix.

Famiglia - Family in Italian. Used in this way, it refers to a crime family.

Ayakashi - Literally meaning "phantom," it is the collective name for yōkai that appear above the surface of some body of water.

Kōtōgakkō - Senior high school in Japanese; grades 10 - 12.

Zabuton - A Japanese cushion for sitting. It is generally used when sitting on the floor, and may sometimes be used in a chair.

Seiza - Literally means "proper sitting." It is the traditional formal way of sitting of in Japan. To achieve this form, one must first kneel on the ground, folding their legs under their thighs, while the buttocks is rested on the heels. The ankles are turned outward, while the bottom of one's foot is folded inward, the big toes overlapping, in a "V" shape. The feet are lowered to the floor once like this, the bottom of the feet facing upward. The buttock is then lowered all the way.

Kiseru - A Japanese smoking pipe traditionally used for smoking small servings (approximately 25 mg or 0.0009 ounces) of _kizami_. Usually, the mouth piece and bowl are made of metal, and the tubular shaft is wood or bamboo.

Kizami - A finely shredded tobacco product resembling hair.

Yunomi - A Japanese teacup, usually made from a ceramic material that are more taller than wide, with a trimmed or turned-in bottom.

Sakura - Cherry blossom in Japanese.

Yakuza - Transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan.

Omertà - Southern Italian Code of silence for mafia families. It stops members of the family from discussing the famiglia with authorities or outsiders. In the manga, it serves the same purpose, but also applies to flames.

CEDEF - Secret intelligence organization independent from but still under the Vongola Famiglia. Stands for "Consulenza Esterna Della Famiglia," which means "External Advisors of the Family" in Italian.


	2. Please

AN - Before we start: I feel the need to explain why a certain song is mentioned in this chapter. Thank you to Yoan Liyu for pointing this out to me. Alright, so the song mentioed is the Barbie song "Two Voices, One Song." (Copyright Mattel Entertainment.) There is a very good reason for this. There are two sisters, Liana and Ember. As you will learn, Liana did not have a great childhood. Due to this, despite being eleven, her mind is stuck at a younger age. Due to this, she clings tightly to the Barbie series, as it was some of the first movies she ever saw. In this chapter, Liana insults that Ember is just like her (being a fan of the movies) because Ember still buys the movies. In truth, Ember still buys them because of Liana. The family is worried about breaking her fragile mental state, and is careful with what they say and do. The family is working with a therapist to help Liana, but there is only so much they can do until Liana decides to change. For those of you that hate Barbie, don't worry, this will be the only timed it is mentioned. I had just wanted to get across how bad Liana's condition was, and didn't do it clearly enough in the chapter. To be clear, it is also shown in the ways she dresses. I'm sorry to those who were confused, or turned off from this story because of it. Thank you for reading. If you are confused, please PM me.

Warnings before we start: Some people may find what is mentioned in this chapter uncomfortable. It does not go beyond the rating of this story. If you believe that what is written does, please PM me.

Underlined have pictures that can be found on Quotev and Wattpad. Italicized and bold are explained at the end.

**—**

_If I had known this was was going to happen today, I never would have taken us here. _

**—**

Two females were walking around in a downtown city area, the streets much less crowded then they should be. Skyscrapers tore through the sky around the two, cars rushing past. They were holding hands, and got stopped at a light. They were very clearly part of two different age groups, as the younger one stamped her feet in frustration.

"Oh come on! We're so close, I don't want to be stuck in a line!" She complained, puffing out her cheeks.

"Calm down, Liana. We've got those special tickets, remember? We'll be there and let through in a matter of minutes, no matter how many people there are." The older one chided. They were both speaking English.

"But Ember! I don't wanna wait!" Liana whined. Ember rolled her eyes and shook her head, bopping the other on the head.

"Be a little patient, alright? The building ins't gonna run away, you know." Ember giggled. The older girl, 17, had pink eyes and burnt curvy brown hair. She had lightly tanned skin, dressed in a casual sporty-esque style. A black baseball cap with bejeweled cat ears pointing up from it, her hair pulled through the gap in the back. A aqua colored loose tank top that read "I'M SO DONE." in large black letters. A off-shoulder pink and black coat hung from her elbows. Dark blue ripped jean shorts with fishnet tights underneath it. The outfit was finished with simple black velvet boots. Around her neck was a pair of neon green FLIPS headphones, connected to the phone in the back pocket of her shorts. She was sucking on a lollipop, eyes accented by a blue and pink eyeshadow, a style her mother, a makeup artist, insist she try for the day. Her mom was always trying new ideas and styles, practicing them on her daughter, even if they didn't completely match what she was wearing that day. She was a bit eccentric that way. Besides from that, the rest of her makeup was rather light, a clear shimmer on her lips. She had forgone any jewelry that day, just wearing some simple metal bangles on her wrist.

The younger one, 11, was in a vastly different style. With butter blonde hair, pale skin and icy blue eyes, she was dressed in a very cutesy style. Her hair was in two high pigtails that fell just below her chest, held by pale blue bows. Little jeweled flower pins had been twisted into her hair. She had on a white and icy blue striped knee high stockings, golden stars strewn around the clothing article. Her shoes seemed to clash, but at the same time not at all. Matching her necklace, she had on two bell bracelets, one on each hand. Her eyeshadow was much simpler, but there was glitter and stars near the outside of both eyes. Her lips were done with a pale pink, and her blush was pale as well. (Think of the Japanese kawaii style that has been trending.)

"Ember, can we sing that song together while we wait?" Liana asked. The two loved to sing together, and if they weren't talking, they were singing.

"You mean that one Barbie one you love? 'Two Voices, One Song?'"

"Yes, that one."

"Aren't you a bit old for that at eleven?" Ember smirked, looking down on Liana.

"Shut up! You were the one who still owned the movies when I met you!" Liana stuck out her tongue at Ember.

"Hey, they were my childhood!" Ember defended, embarrassed.

Though these two are sisters, they are not the traditional type of sister. Ember was born to Julie Careese and Andreas Careese. As stated, her mother is a professional makeup artist, and is very good at her job. Now, if her mother is eccentric, her father would be considered plain crazy. He leads a motorcycle gang, but not the bad kind. They preform stunts, odd jobs, races, among other things, all of which they get legally paid for. They are often called the 'protectors of the community,' seeing how they have often helped save people in a plethora of different situations, often arriving just on time. The name of the gang is 'Revving Rose.' Now, what made people consider him crazy, was that most of his men were parolees. Before creating the group, he worked as a police officer, and he saw that many people brought in had been on parole, but had gone back to life of crime. In his mind, something obviously wasn't working with the system. So he quit his job, and started his legal motorcycle gang for paroles. It certainly hadn't been easy, and when asked why he decided to do this with his life, his response was 'because I want to show them that there is more to life then crime and steel bars. I want them to feel free, I don't want them to feel like society has quit on them. And I think to best way to do it is with motorcycles. I certainly feel free when I ride, so why shouldn't I share that with others?'

They had met one night when Andreas was out on a nightly ride with some of the members a little time after the gang had been started. They found Julie passed out at a bus stop. Thinking that something bad had happened, they had woken her up, but what they were told in response certainly wasn't what they were expecting. Apparently, she had waiting for the bus, but had gotten tired and fell asleep. No one had bothered to wake her up. Despite this, she was happy and cheery, which was just the start of her eccentricity, as Andreas would come to learn. They drove her to her hotel, but the two kept meeting even after that. Sparks started flying, and soon, Andreas was on one knee and proposing. She accepted, and then they were married, and having Ember.

Ember grew up her whole life around Revving Rose. She watched members come and go, she joined them in laughing and crying, she heard as people broke down crying thanking her father for what the group has done for them. She grew up being told that everyone deserves another chance, and she truly believed it. Who wouldn't, when the proof was in front of you everyday? It had been confusing to her when her father had to kick out a member one day. She had come up to him crying, asking why he had done what he did. He always said you should give people another chance! He had smiled at her sadly, and simply said "while that is true, for that to work, you need trust. If you keep giving people another chance, but they don't stop doing what they said they would, sooner or later, you need to stop giving them chances. Sometimes, it's the only way for a person to learn and grow." He explained. It took a long time for Ember to understand.

Ember loved Revving Rose, and they loved her. They always played around, and would help her with school work. The members of the group felt like they owed her family their lives, so one of them would usually be with Ember to protect her. Though it was annoying, they did have a reason for doing so. The group may have had the public opinion, but the director of police, Howard, wasn't a kind man; he was cruel hearted and corrupt, uncaring for both his men and the prisoners. He completely disagreed with Andreas' ideals, and Andreas' parole gang was losing him money. Ever since he had started it, there had been less inmates, and that meant less money coming in. And that meant less money for Howard. Howard thought he had hated Andreas when he was in the force, but now, oh how he despised him. And he wasn't against going after little Ember to get at Andreas. And that had been exactly what he had done. Ember doesn't like to remember the experience, but it was thanks to her attendant that day that she had been saved. And thanks to a recording done by an home stuck sick boy and a private investigation, Howard had been found guilty of not only kidnapping, but also of embezzlement, assault, and forgery. Many of his qualifications had been forged. Needless to say, he ended up in the slammer, and wouldn't be let out for a long time. A new director came in, and tensions settled. The Rose still followed Ember around still, and it was starting to annoy her. When she demanded they stop, they said they would if she learned to fight so she could defend herself.

She took the deal, and soon, they let her have her way, and stopped following her around as much. That made Ember much happier, but there was another thing that they did that absolutely embarrassed her to no end: they called her 'Lady Ember.' They had gotten a parole once, Kenji, who was not in the right state of mind. He was of Japanese descent, and prison had done a number on his mind. Ember had found him on the roof one day in the early morning, when she had been woken up by a terrible feeling. She was able to get him down from the edge, and he fell to his knees, crying and thanking her. Then Mayson, a younger guy in the gang, found them, right as Kenji then called her 'Ember-sama.' Mayson, who was getting closer, paused, before doubling over laughing. "H-he just called you 'Lady Ember!' You, a lady? Hah!" Mayson enjoyed anime, and had gotten Ember into the craze, so she didn't need him to translate for her, as she turned bright red.

"Shut up Mayson!" She hissed. "Please don't call me that, Kenji..." Ember begged, turning back to the Japanese man. Kenji looked legitimately confused before a look of realization came across his face.

"Oh right! This isn't Japan! Here, you would be 'Lady Ember!' So then, Lady Ember!" He bowed down low to her. "Thank you for saving me! I am forever indebted to you!" Ember only got redder, as Mayson fell to the ground, crippled from laughter. The nickname stuck, and Kenji basically became her personal assistant after that day. Her life became less crazy as she got older, though she was preparing to take over the group after her father. She ended having to get used the nickname in the end. None of them stopped calling her it, and Ember knew they wouldn't stop any time soon.

"And you still have them even now! You even buy the new ones that come out! So don't say anything to me about being too old for Barbie!" Liana jabbed.

"Alright, geez!" Ember flipped the earphones so they were facing outward, and grabbed her phone. "I only like them for the music, you know..." she stated under her breath.

Liana snorted. "Yeah right. We both know that's not true."

"Whatever." Ember sighed. "Pop or movie version?"

"Pop please."

Liana is adopted. Her real parents... were not the greatest people in the world. And that's just taking it lightly. They were abusive. They weren't physically abusive, but they were mentally and psychologically abusive. To make a long story short, Revving Rose and Ember found her during a night drive. Ember was 12, it was the end of the school year, and Andreas told Ember that if she did well in her state testing, he would take her along on a night drive. She ended up doing really well, and as per their deal, he took her out with Revving Roses. They had stopped for a water break, before they headed back to the base. They had ended up on the poorer side of the city, and Ember swore she heard something unusual. She started wandering off in the direction of the sound, Raewyn, Andreas' third-in-command, following her. What they found horrified them. They found a little seven year old girl, curled up in trash, covered in dirt and caked blood, legs brought up close to her body and arms wrapped around her head. She was hardly dressed, and it had been a cold few nights recently. There were bite marks from different animals and some obviously infected areas. She was quite obviously sleep deprived, sniveling and trying to hold back her cries, almost sounding like a baby animal.

The girl was brought to the hospital after much effort from Ember and Raewyn, where she started a slow recovery. When Andreas attempted to find out what had happened, a resident of the area they were in that night told him about the abuse the girl went through and that she had been abandoned there a few nights ago. When asked how she knew, and why she didn't help, she leveled him a dead stare, and said "this is the slums. Everyone and no one knows what's goes on around here. Of course, you're of a whole different world. You wouldn't be able to understand this." She claimed, then continued, blowing out a plum of smoke. "As for why I didn't help her, son, I can barely take care of what I have. I can't afford to take care of another human. The same is true about the others around here." That was all he got before the lady walked away. He had come home that day, tired and depressed. The Careese's were paying for Liana's recovery, and when Ember asked what was wrong, she was only patted on the head. She was told that the girl didn't have great childhood, and not to mention it to her. He then asked if she wanted a new sister.

Liana isn't the name she was given at birth. It was a name she picked for herself. When the Careese's were allowed to visit the girl a week after her admission, she was quiet, and barely talked. She didn't respond to being told that she would be the new member of their family, only giving them a quiet 'okay.' When Julie and Andreas had to leave to talk to the hospital staff, Ember took the opportunity to try to talk to her new sister, though she did most of the talking. Still, Liana seemed to open up to Ember, even if it was only a little. When Ember asked if she had ever seen a movie, and Liana shook her head no, Ember had a mini panic attack.

"What?! You've never really truly seen a movie before?" Another head shake, as Liana backed a little away from her in panic. But Ember just went on. "I have some movies with me! They're Barbie!" She said, pulling them out of her backpack. "They're really cool! Wanna see?" Scared, but beyond curious at this point, Liana gave a small 'sure' in reply. Happy, Ember quickly opened up one of the movies and put it into the CD reader connected to the TV in the room. "This first one is called 'Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper!'" Ember said as she hurriedly turned off most of the lights and moved her chair right next to Liana, remote in her hand and smiling. "You're gonna love it!" And, just as Ember said, Liana had loved it, so much that she wanted to hear the music again. So Liana used the menu options to listen to each song individually. (Yes, as far as I remember, this was a real feature of the disc.) Ember started singing along to the songs, Liana looking at her in surprise. The second movie to come on was 'Barbie as the Island Princess.' Someway through this movie, Julie and Andreas had come back to the room to talk to the two, but after seeing how happy Liana was, they smiled and left to finish some finalizing paperwork. The third movie was 'Barbie and the Diamond Castle.' For some reason, this one really affected Liana, and she started crying at the end. Ember panicked, unsure what to do, saying sorry to Liana for whatever she did, when her new sister cut her off.

"Linana." She said. "Can my name be Liana?" She asked. Liana was the name of the main character, along with her friend Alexa.

Ember immediately paused, before smiling brightly. "Of course! Well then," she held her hand out to her newly named sister. "Nice to meet you, Liana!"

**—**

Ember tapped away on her phone, pulling up a music app and searching the song. "All right, got it. You want to sing Alexa's part again?" Ember asked, reaching for the play button.

"Of course." Despite picking Liana as her name years ago, she enjoyed Alexa's parts more than Liana's. A tap was heard, and then music started streaming out of Ember's headphones right as the light changed.

_Cue "Two Voices, One Song." Sung by Melissa Lyons and Cassidy Ladden; copyright Mattel Entertainment _

As the song ended, the two stopped in front of the building they were trying to reach, a long line of people already waiting. It was a new national monument, commissioned by the government, and just passing safety regulations recently. They had wanted to check the structural integrity of the building, since the first time they tried to build, the entire thing came down due to a structural problem. It killed and injured a lot of workers, and the project had to be put on hold and was held back a long while. But today, it was finally open to the public, many gathering to see it in its completion. Though, they had many more than expected, since they also agreed to hold a medium sized pop culture con in the building during the first three opening days, many people being drawn in for the con. This, of course, included anime, which was what had drawn Ember and Liana in. Shortly after Ember had been introduced to the world of anime, Liana had been quickly drawn in. They had similar tastes, though they disagreed on some aspects. They watched shows like Nurarihyon no Mago and Katekyō Hitman Reborn!, though Ember will admit she is guilty of not finishing shows, something she had done with both of the before mentioned shows. She watched some of it, but usually read up on the rest, though it never gave her as clear of a understanding as watching the anime or reading the manga could. She enjoys it, but hasn't watched as much as she grows older.

Liana was much more of binge watcher than her. She had finished both shows, and many others. Ember isn't sure at this point if she read of the manga of the two stories or not at this point; she reads and watches so much of it. Though others might consider this a problem, Ember was happy Liana found something she enjoyed so much. Though she is much better than she was, the affects of the abuse is still there. She lost seven years of her childhood, and it comes through in her daily life, one of those being the way she dresses. She doesn't dress like she does because of anime (though anime definitely influenced it once she was introduced.) She was dressing this way from the day she was allowed home. It's her way of trying to get her childhood back. The Careese' let it happen; this was something she needed to heal, was what her therapist had said. It may get better with time, but something like this just doesn't disappear. They would have to wait to see how she improves over the years.

"Oh come on! There's already so many people here! This sucks!" Liana cried.

Ember rolled her eyes. "Don't you remember the tickets Mayson got for us?" She asked, pulling them out of a hidden pocket in her jacket. Mayson, their fathers second in command, was the one who had introduced them to anime. He had won the two tickets in a raffle, but decided to give them to Liana and Ember. "I'll come later." He said. "Enjoy yourselves! This will be your first con, right?" Had been his response when Ember asked why.

"Oh yeah!" Liana said, taking the ticket handed to her. They then followed the directions given to them. Walk to the front of the group, and show the guards your tickets. You'll be let through, and you'll go through the typical security check. After that, you'll be ushered to the opening hall. You'll be given special passes to wear, which prove that you have access to limited events and items, and you'll be let in. Walking in, the two were shocked. The main hall was huge and beautiful, and it was only the third floor. There were booths all around, and full of people who had gotten there early enough to not be stopped in the crowd.

"Woah, it's amazing!" Liana said, shock written all over her face.

"Yeah, it is really is!" Ember agreed. Liana then pulled hard on her arm, pulling her forward.

"Come on, lets go already!"

**— **

Two hours had passed already, and Liana and Ember were on one of the higher floors, having a early lunch. Around them were different bags, Ember happily munching on her **_konpeitō_**. Ember sweat dropped. "Haven't you had enough candy, Liana?"

Liana pouted at her. "No, of course not! One can never have enough candy. It is the single greatest human invention! Alongside anime." She claimed.

"Right..." Ember faked laughed, her phone giving off a beep. Picking it up, she saw the caller ID as Mayson. Smiling, she picked up the phone and put it on speaker. "Hey Mayson!"

"Hey there Lady Em!" He cheered, his deep kind voice coming through the intercom. He had a habit of shortening people's names when he saw fit. "You two having fun?"

"Yweph!" (Yep) Liana answered, her mouth full of the little sugar candy. Mayson laughed.

"Must be if Little Lady Li is stuffing her face!" After Liana was introduced the group, they though it unfair that they called Ember 'Lady Ember' and Liana nothing. Mayson, of course having anime on his mind, proposed 'Little Lady Liana,' Sailor Moon being his inspiration. They all agreed to it, and from that day, she was little lady.

"You on your way, Mayson?"

"Even better! I'm on line." He said. "Since most people came in the morning, the line is moving quicker than before. I'll be in there soon, alright?"

"Got it! We're up on the eleventh floor, near the balcony that overlooks the rest of the building. We'll wait for you here, ok?"

"Yeah, meet us here, Mayson!" Liana called, having finally swallowed the candy she stuffed in her mouth.

"Hear ya nice and clear, La-" That was when all hell broke lose.

Loud booms simultaneously came from below and above the two, loud screams entering the space, cutting off what Mayson was about to say, the building trembling and throwing the two to the ground. Ember's phone was catapulted from her hand. "What the hell?!" Ember shouted, as Liana looked around in horror.

"Ember, w-what is happening?" She stuttered, horrified.

"I don't know!" Ember shouted in response, running to the balcony, stumbling when another tremor shook the entire building. Looking over the edge, she was horrified by what she saw. There was fire and smoke and people running everywhere. There was blood, a sickening iron haze entering the air. She heard the sickening crunch as two people were crushed by a falling hanging light. Bile crawled up her throat, burning her insides. She threw herself away from the edge, falling to her side as she brought up her barely digested lunch. She heard Liana crying behind her as the fourth tremor came, resulting in more heart-wrenching screaming, crying and yelling. If felt closer this time.

She was shocked out of her state when she heard her name being yelled from her phone a few feet from her. Snatching it up desperately, she beards Mayson's cries of horror growing more and more desperate as despair ate as his mind from their lack of response. "Mayson, calm down! I'm here, I'm ok!" Ember called to him, her throat raw from the stomach acids brought up.

"Lady Ember?! You're there?! Oh my god, I thought you were dead... is little lady with you?!"

"Yes, she is! She's fine, just crying. But, what do you mean dead?! What the hell is going on, Mayson?!"

"Explosions, that what's going on! They're saying it's a terrorist attack!" He shouted. Ember froze, almost dropping the phone, not hearing whatever it was that Mayson said next. A terrorist attack? No way. That... couldn't be. They couldn't be caught in a terrorist attack, could they? She didn't register the fifth explosion, nor the fact that the explosions were slowly getting closer to the two. There's just no way... horror and disbelief ate at her. She could barely force the words out of her mouth.

"A terrorist attack? Explosions? You're kidding right? You are kidding right?!" Ember shouted, desperation overwhelming her.

"EMBER!" Mayson screamed at her, effectively waking her up from her denial. "I don't if you've been listening, but you need to get out of there now. If you don't, both you and Liana will die!" That seemed to finally register, as Ember grabbed at Liana's arm in a death grip, taking off for the stairs. They were just a second early before the balcony they were on went up in flames in a ear shattering explosion. The two were knocked the floor by the force, the phone being knocked away, much farther away this time. The flames licked at them, steadily growing closer. Their skin reddened as the flames burned brighter, both screaming in agony. Still, Ember forced herself up, her body screaming in protest. At this point, smoke had covered the area, mixing with the haze of iron, and the horrid stench of burning bodies. Ember didn't get very far before a painful hacking stopped her in her place. She fell to her knees. Her lungs burned, the smoke burned; her heartbeat thudded against her skull as her body shook.

Ember heard a thump behind her, as the flames crackled, and another explosion went off below them. Liana had fallen to the ground, trying to get up; being behind Ember during the explosion meant she had taken the brunt of it, and she was much tinier than Ember; the lack of oxygen was getting to her quicker. Ember panicked once again, her mind and resolve kicking into overdrive. She once again forced herself up, stumbling once she was on her trembling legs. She just wanted to fall asleep; sleep felt so much better than this. She could disappear from this hell, her mind whispered. Her eyes glazed over, as her body swayed. She could be free, she could be released from responsibility, a voice told her. She could fix this; she didn't have to feel anything anymore. _He_ would take care of it all. All she had to do wa o. She looked behind her. There was Liana, the cusp of death surrounding her. And still, she reached out for her big sister. Ember's eyes focused on Liana, as her name was whispered through her dying lips. _No, please... Not again. It can't... No, it won't! Not again! I won't let it! _And then, everything shattered.

Ember's eyes widened. The haze around her mind disappeared, the pain of her body felt as if it evaporated. The feel of burning skin was still there, along with her burning lungs, but now, it felt as if they could truly _escape_. Running for Liana, Ember scooped her up, heading for the stairs. "Come on, wake up Liana... don't give up on me now..." she begged, taking the stairs two at a time. She reached the bottom of the stairs, racing for the main stairs that went right to the first floor.

She heard it before her body registered it. A deafening crack, the smell of something burning entering her nostrils. Liana being blown away from her, much like how her phone had been. And then, nothingness as she was hurdled to the ground. Her senses soon came back though, and she- _she_ _couldn't_ _feel_ _her_ _legs_. All her feeling from the waist down was just _gone_. Confused and terrified, she desperately blinked the black spots out of her eyes. She really wished she hadn't. Surrounding her were broken pillars and debris from the upper floors. There was shattered glass, and blood, _just_ _blood_, everywhere. A pool was gathering below her head, and the if searing pain at the back of her head was anything to go on, she had been hit, hard, most likely by some falling steel. She reached her hand up to confirm, and she was met the stickiness of her own blood. Daring to take a peek at her legs, she immediately had to look away, lest she vomit again. Her waist and everything below had been crushed by falling steel supports, spattered with blood and what Ember could only guess was her muscle and bone. Just the thought of it had her dry heaving, saliva falling as she brought her bloody hand up to her mouth. As this happened, she felt a butterfly touch on her outstretched hand. Looking up, her eyes widened in relief, only for her pupils to shrink in horror.

Liana was burned, _horribly_. Burn marks covered her body, some of her skin charred black. Ember screamed in horror, the sound muffled by her hand, tears falling from her eyes. Despite this, Liana smiled at her and attempted to stumble over, her clothes mostly burnt but still somehow intact, arm reaching fully for Ember. She never made it, as her eyes darkened and she fell face forward in front of Ember, her hand falling in front of her, near Ember's face. Horror etched itself onto Ember's face, as she shakily reached her hand for her sisters burnt one. Lord no, she couldn't have died... there, right there! Ember had her hand around Liana's wrist. There was a heartbeat! A small, dying heartbeat, but it was still there! Not caring anymore about her horror, she drew her sister to herself with all the strength she could muster. She dragged Liana to be right next to her, and hugged her.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry I wasn't strong enough to get us out of here. I'm sorry... **If** **I** **had** **known** **this** **was** **going** **to** **happen** **today, I** **never** **would** **have** **taken** **us** **here**." She cried. "I didn't want this to be our last memory together... but as long as we're together, we'll be ok. I promise." At that, she swore she could feel someone hugging back, but knew it was the blood loss; Liana was already gone. "I'm sorry this has to be how it ends. But I promise you," Ember stated, her resolve strong. "Wherever we end up, be it heaven, hell, or another earth, I'll find you. No matter where we go, no matter what happens, we'll still have each other. I don't care if you even forget about me! I'll find you! I promise!" _And_ _this_ _time, I'll_ _save_ _us_. Then, Ember closed her eyes, as the last explosions rocked the building.

**—**

She was falling, falling, falling. She was falling, but it wasn't scary. She felt free, she felt relief, like everything was _finally_ going to be _alright_. And then, it stopped. She landed gently, she could feel it, but where? She slowly opened her pink eyes, and all around her was a gentle white. It wasn't overpowering, and it wasn't foreboding. It was just, a gentle, reassuring kind of feeling. If she looked closely, she could see grayish blurry outlines; buildings, maybe? She couldn't tell. As her eyes swept the expanse, she saw a tall building, directly in front of her. It towered up above the others, and she drew her eyes up to the top. And up there, was a person, just sitting there in the ledge, swinging their legs. Their eyes met, and Ember was shocked to see pink eyes like hers. All of her life, she had never seen another person with pink eyes. The person smiled, before they pushed themselves off the roof. Shocked, Ember stood there frozen, until she realized- the person wasn't falling; they were floating. As they got closer, Ember realized just how similar the two looked: the same burnt brown hair, and same pink eyes. Though, this person's hair fell to their shoulders; Ember's own traveled down her back. Ember's eyes were a lighter, brighter pink than this persons, as well. When they landed, it was obvious this person was female; her body was even shaped like Ember's! Though, it was hard to tell- just like the rest of the world, her body, except for face, was white and blurry.

"Hello, Ember." The woman- it was obvious from her voice- greeted. Which was really strange coming from her own face.

"Hello, I guess?" Ember was uncomfortable with this situation. Surely, this couldn't be the afterlife, could it? Spending eternity with your doppelgänger, no thanks! "Who are you?" Ember was openly apprehensive, body tensing.

The newcomer blinked, before doubling over laughing. Ember starred at her in confusion, as a sweat drop fell down her face. "T-there's no need to look like you wanna tackle me, you know!" She then laughed even harder. "Or wait, are you preparing to run away? Unfortunately, even if you did, you'd just loop back right here!" She snickered.

Ember blinked. "What the hell is going on?" She asked dumbly, the tension of her body disappearing.

"Pftt! I'm sorry!" The not-Ember said, breathing in and out harshly in an attempt to stop laughing. "I just wasn't expecting that from you. Even after dying in an exploding building, still as eccentric as ever, just like your parents. I was honestly expecting you to lose it on me..." she stated under her breath, scratching the back of her head. "Look, guess I should explain. I'm God."

Ember blinked again, before deadpanning. "What."

"Um... yeah, I guess this form would make it hard to believe." God said, looking down at herself, before turning around and putting a finger in the air. "Look, everyone sees God a different way. It the reflection of their beliefs." She said, moving and twirling a bit. "Most of the time, I'm seen as a near perfect reflection of the soul I'm meeting. For most, it helps them to process what has happened to them. Though you," God said, turning back around. "Seem to have already accepted the fact you died. It the short time between here and the place of your death, you've processed and come to accept it. Right?" God questioned, though she seemed she already had the answer.

Ember dead panned. "I was trapped in an exploding building. Of course I knew I could die. But," she paused, and looked up. "I'll admit, I was pretty hysterical when it first happened. I didn't want to die. I refused to die. But, when my legs were crushed, I knew. I knew we wouldn't escape. I knew that hell would be the last thing I would see. I would be dying there. And when I saw Liana... it only affirmed that fact."

"Is that why the thought of death, knowing that you are dead, unbothers you so? Because you knew there was no way out."

Ember smiled bitterly. "Yeah, I guess that's part of it. But also because I made a promise to Liana. Come what may, I would find her, no matter what, no matter where we end up. Death won't stop me. I promised."

God smiled mysteriously, her eyes shadowed. "Really? Really truly? Though fate itself may turn against you?"

"Yes." Ember affirmed, resolve shining in her eyes, before she blinked, and the air of seriousness disappeared. "Wait, why are you asking this?"

God shook her head, the mysterious aura gone. "No reason. Just trying to get a feel for your personality." God then turned away from her. "So you're the fierce protector type of what yours, huh? Would even die for them if it meant they were safe, I guess?" She questioned.

Ember couldn't hear what was being said, but called out to her. "Um, God, is everything alright?"

"Hm?" God spun around to face her, before smiling gently. "No, nothing's wrong. Just, what I say next, don't freak out, alright?"

Ember raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I can do that..."

"Look, you're not going to heaven or hell. You're going to be reincarnated." God said, giving it to her straight.

Ember blinked. "Yeah, ok, cool." This time, it was God's turn to blink.

"Wait, just like that?! You're not gonna freak out or anything?" She asked.

"Why should I? You're God. You have all the power in the world. I don't imagine reincarnation is anything hard for you to do." Ember reasoned.

"Well, when you put it like that..." God admitted, before buffering herself up. "Both you and Liana will be reincarnated in the same world. When and how you'll be reincarnated is something I can't answer, but you will at least be reincarnated so that you to will be alive together." At that, Ember seemed to physically perk up, since it was quite obvious that she was curious of where Liana would end up. God smiled sadly. "This isn't an opportunity open to everyone, you know." God said, Ember looking at her in confusion. "There's a specific reason you two are being reincarnated. See, you two were supposed to live a lot longer. But, someone messed with your fates and put you in that explosion. My only explanation right now is that this person switched your fates with two people you were close with." At this, Ember's eyes widened, as her body shook. "I'm guessing you think you know who one of the people your fate was switched with was?" Ember nodded numbly.

"Mayson... he was planning to use the special tickets he earned to get into the con... you mean..." she fell to the ground. "Mayson would have died if someone hadn't messed with the fates?" She cried.

"Well, we can't know that. That's only a possibility. Who knows what could have really happened that led you two to be trapped in that attack." God reminded. Ember nodded, but it was obvious the prospect scared her. God looked at her. "Look, forget I said anything. You've been through enough. Don't dwell on it, alright?" God said, bending down to Ember, holding her hands. Ember sniffled and looked up into similar pink eyes. "Just calm down." With those words, that very sense washed over Ember, stopping her nerves and pausing her frazzled mind.

"Yeah, alright." Ember said, standing back up, still holding God's hands. "I'm ok now. Thank you for that." She said, releasing her hold and up a hand to wipe her eyes.

"Good, cause I ain't doing it again." God deadpanned. She then smiled cheerfully. "Alright then! Now, I can't guarantee anything, but is there any particular place you like to be reincarnated? You can be literally reincarnated anywhere, including a favorite show or book. As long as it's out there, I can put you there, I could even do a crossover! Though again, no guarantee. I can only do my best." God offered. Ember shook her head.

"While being reincarnated into a favorite anime of mine would be cool, I don't want that. Just, if I have to be reincarnated, I don't want to be reincarnated in a world that I know, able to predict to what will happen. I want to be in a place entirely new to me, one that will be exciting. And, if I can, I want to make everyone's life's who live there better."

God smiled brightly. "I know just the place! I think you'll love it!" God said. She then snapped her fingers, and the white surrounding them slowly started to disappear, revealing the color underneath. But as the white disappeared, so did Ember. Her body started to glow and disappear, as her eyes and hair slowly changed colors, not that Ember noticed. She was suddenly feeling very tired, like she could just sleep for hours. "Oh, one more thing." God said before Ember completely disappeared. "You're going to be keeping your memories. Hope they help in that world!" God waved, as Ember's eyes closed fully and she completely disappeared.

As soon as Ember disappeared, the smile fell from God's face. She sighed, and looked up into what was revealed to be a clear blue sky. What were thought to be buildings were tall trees of different kinds, and the building God was resting on? It was a tall twisting tower that reached beyond the sky. Still standing on the tree that she and Ember had been on, God watched as the trees around her all glowed, and one by one, girls that all looked similar to Ember, but all different at the same time, appeared from the light, each on top of their own trees. God then looked down to the new baby tree, a weeping sakura tree, in the middle of them all. "Please, Ember. Do what we couldn't. Fight this fate. Put this horrid cycle to an end, and save everyone at last."

(And end! God, that death scene was hard to write. I had to stop a lot because I felt I was gonna get sick from just writing it. Hope you enjoyed!)

Dictionary corner!

Konpeitō - A Japanese sugar candy candy that come in a variety of colors and flavors. Shaped liked stars.


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